20th Century Boys vol. 16
We get a lot of answers in this volume, and they all come from the (arguably long overdue) exploration of Fukube’s character. Where Kenji and his friends were the most admired and talked-about kids in their class, Fukube wasn’t so much an outcast as someone who looked down upon their wild imaginations as much as he secretly envied them. This leads him to some events that we’ve seen play out in earlier flashbacks — such as the haunted house and Donkey’s night at the school — but the added perspective gives them new depth and expertly shows us how he turned out the way he did. I would’ve liked an explanation as to why he didn’t use his “other talents” to wow Kenji and Co., but in the event that he wasn’t bent on trying to beat them on their level I’d bet that an explanation is forthcoming.
That said, even with all this explanation it’s clear that there’s still something more to his rise to power as the “Friend.” Even if he did come back to life (again) in the last volume, the smart money says that there’s someone else underneath that hood. (You know, it’s been a while since we’ve seen Yanbo and Manbo, I wonder whatever happened to them…) However, the implication is handled in a way that even if that isn’t the case, his history still winds up beinga crucial part of the puzzle.
It also marks the beginning of the end for this series as the last half of the volume shows you the new face of Japan in the wake of the Friend’s ascenscion to total control of Japan. While not exactly dystopia, his efforts to try and turn back the clock to the days of his youth haven’t done the country any favors. Then you get Otcho and Kamisama’s conversation on the matter and you realize that things are going to start building to a head very soon. After all, there’s only four more volumes left in the main story. It’s going to be a long wait until vol. 20 comes out in April.
Then there’s “21st Century Boys…”